20. Why & what I’ll explore in 2025

Hi friends, 

Happy 2025! I hope you had a restful holiday break. 

2025 marks the year that I’ll be in marketing for a decade now (!!)

Yup, I feel old.

It sometimes feels like that moment when the internet found out the parents in Rugrats were in their 30s and went, "Whaaat?? They felt like they were in their 40s".

And I’m fed up with the current state of content marketing. Where else did you think ChatGPT and AI got all their incredible usage of ‘elevate’, ‘revolutionise’, ‘supercharge’ and all these grandiose-sounding words that mean nothing?

All the millions and millions of blog posts marketers churned out to meet SEO requirements.

I'm aware this is a gross simplification. I’m not discounting all the other stuff AI has been trained on - literary works, uncredited writers and artists, etc.- but I’m pretty sure content marketers and SEO people have contributed to explaining why the state of AI writing is what it is.

Remember the early days when practising SEO and writing blog content = trying to find different avenues to include your target keyword? You’ll never say a paragraph like this if you’re talking to your friend (unless you’re trying to troll them or something)

Stuff like this doesn’t work as well anymore. I hope that things will shift and standards will rise. People are desperate for content, brands, and trustworthy people.

And here's the contradiction: People don't care about your brand. They have lives to live, weekend plans to make, houses to clean, pets or children to care for, and family and friends to see.

That is until you do something that adds tangible value to their lives. 

How, then, should one navigate this contradiction? I think marketing (and content marketing) from here will focus on a few core principles. In the spirit of thinking out loud, here’s what I believe these principles will be and some questions to apply to your messaging and marketing efforts.

• Human: If the basis of human connection is trust and empathy, how can you create a tangible, emotional connection with your audience in your limited time with them? To do so, content (and any other marketing efforts) needs to lean into connecting with your audience. Can you infuse elements of thoughtfulness and play that make it 300% clear that a human wrote it with the reader’s best interests in mind? Can your audience feel you genuinely care about them?

• Helpful: Do you understand and empathise with your audience’s challenges? Can you provide tangible, practical solutions to these challenges that go beyond “stuff you can get from an AI prompt or a quick Google search? Can you entertain and inspire someone through your content reliably and consistently to develop that sense of trust? 

• Value-driven: Yes, this sounds like a buzzword. But I believe people who want to trust brands will find it easier to do so when they a) communicate their values and b) live out these values intentionally through actions, communication, and how they present themselves to their audience.

• Craft/creativity: Do you care about the quality of the messaging and content you create and share with your audience? How can you add more creativity to your messaging instead of replicating best practices or following what others in your industry do? 

We can use more thoughtfulness and intention in our messages, so I intend to explore these principles more this year. They require intentional time and effort to apply. I don’t have all the answers, so I’m approaching this with a healthy dose of curiosity and openness.

I’m also curious about brands and individuals who implement these principles and why some brands or people resonate so much more with their audience than others. Let’s see where this takes me and the newsletter! 

3 cool reads

• The only 2025 marketing plan that's guaranteed to work (Superpath): It's by focusing on the basics - being helpful, fostering emotional connection, and thoughtful interactions. 

• People don't care about your brand. Also see contentfolks's take on this (credit to her for sending me down this rabbit hole!) 

• Don’t let machines or the crowd decide your world: If we're tired of AI-generated slop, we also need to apply this to our information intake. This is a timely read (and a reminder to self) to introduce more human curation into your life and sometimes step away from all the algorithm-powered engines and AI DJs.
  My favourite part:
  "Stop caring about if others already viewed something to determine if it’s for you. Step away from what’s trending, not just to be contrarian, but to reconnect with the human act of discovery in a way that’s unbiased by product signals, or even just (different from) what you’ve always done. Go to a physical music shop and try out an entirely new genre of music and see how it sits with you, likes not required. When using digital platforms, sort ideas as simple and unbiased as possible such as by date or genre without application of popularity filters."

Fun stuff

My dog Luna's lovely "hello there, is that food for me?" face.

Here’s how we can work together in 2025.

⭐ B2B SaaS product-led content: People look for solutions and information online. Why not position your product to illustrate a point and show why your product is the best at solving a problem? It attracts visitors and educates customers while motivating and guiding them to use your product. Talk about a win-win!

⭐ Customer case studies: Highlight how you’ve worked with a customer and celebrate their success! Case studies build trust with potential customers and show how your work has solved their issues. Attract customers like your ideal clients who want to solve a similar issue.

 ⭐ Whitepapers, research reports, and e-books: When paired with original data, sharp design, and excellent storytelling, these assets help start sales conversations and build industry authority (.i.e., backlinks!). Let me help you with these mammoth projects! In addition to interviewing experts and conducting research, I'll help with the outline, drafting, and publication.

 ⭐  Content repurposing: Don’t let the content you worked so hard to create collect digital dust after publishing. Repurpose your existing content to reach a new audience. For example, I’ve worked with clients to repurpose speaker recordings into blog posts and turn internal sales slides into e-books.

DM me, and let’s schedule a call to discuss your content! Let’s determine what types of content best suit your customers and craft a path forward together.

Thanks for reading and being here.